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Although I have been loving all of the chocolate in our group lately, it was nice to have a bit of sunny citrus for this week's TWD: whole-lemon tart, chosen by Babette!
[tartest lemon tart recipe]
I had a few misgivings about putting the lemon in, rind and all, but it turned out to be really delicious and lemony. I'm also a big fan of Dorie's shortbread crust recipe, and that was as good as always!
I had to use a springform pan because the bottom of my tart pan disappeared, but I thought it still turned out OK looking:)
The filling was pretty simple to make — cut up lemons and sugar blended or processed together (I used the food processor since I already had it out to make the crust), then blended together with the cornstarch, egg, melted butter and heavy cream.
My tart took a while longer than the suggested baking time, almost another 15 minutes. It was really jiggly there for a while, but it turned out just fine.
It was delicious! Some people commented that it turned out too bitter for them, but it was just perfect for me. Not too sweet, not too sour (although I do like sour types of candy!) Anyway, yea, it comes highly recommended :)
Tartest Lemon Tart
1 9-inch tart shell (I used Dorie's sweet tart dough as suggested)
For the filling:
1 1/2 lemons, scrubbed and dried
300 g (1 1/2 c) sugar
1 large egg, room temp
2 large egg yolks, room temp
1 1/2 T cornstarch
1/2 c heavy cream
4 T butter (1/2 stick), melted and cooled
[full recipe instructions on Babette's blog]
Nutrition Facts from NutritionData.com:
per 1/8th of recipe
[click to show or hide]
Calories: 502
Fat: 24 g
Saturated Fat: 14 g
Cholesterol: 164 mg
Sodium: 164 mg
Carbohydrates: 70 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 5 g
Thanks, Babette, for choosing this tangy and delicious tart! Get the recipe on her blog: Babette Feasts. Don't forget to check out the rest of the tarts on the TWD blogroll too :)


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Here's some of what Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg, who finished second, and Lewis Hamilton, who didn't finish the race, had to say after Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix, along with team boss Toto Wolff:
Nico Rosberg
"That was a big battle all the way through today! I had a tough start, but I was able to defend in the first few corners and fight against Lewis. The race went smoothly for a while then both cars suddenly lost the MGU-K system and a lot of power which was really tough. Then I lost some time in the second pit stop, which let Lewis jump me and I was struggling to cool the rear brakes down so it was all happening. Towards the end of the race, I tried to defend against Sergio (Perez), which was fine, but Daniel (Ricciardo) was too fast on the straights with much more power than I had available and he was able to get past. With so much going on, I had to ask my engineer where I finished at the end as I thought I was probably about fifth or sixth. I was so happy to hear that I was in P2! They are important points for me in the championship, so it was a tough but, ultimately, good day. Congratulations to Daniel for his first Formula One win."
Lewis Hamilton
"I did the best that I could out there today and felt like I was having a strong race but, unfortunately, it just wasn't our day. Montreal has been a good track for me so to come here and not finish is disappointing, but there are plenty more races ahead of us this season so let's hope for better fortune. There was nothing I could do about our issues really. We were managing the loss of power but as soon as I finally made the jump on Nico in the second pit stop, my brakes failed going into Turn 10. It's great for the team that Nico was able to hold on and get second place today, but it's tough for me. That's two DNFs now this season and now I have to try and recover the points gap again. But these are learning experiences: we'll learn as a team and get stronger. Congratulations to Daniel today. It's awesome for him to get his first win and I know this will be a really special day for him."
Toto Wolff
"First of all, I must say I feel very sorry for Lewis. His retirement was not his fault in any way and it is something the team has to take on the chin. Both drivers were doing a great job up to the point when the MGU-K failed. That also led to the brake failure that forced Lewis to retire after the second pit -stop. Nico did a sensational job to get the car home and it was a fantastic piece of damage limitation given how much power he was giving away to the other cars. Now we will stick together as a team, analyze and understand what happened, and come out of this situation even stronger. Congratulations to Daniel Ricciardo on his first Grand Prix win. He's not just a quick guy, but also a fresh new face as a Formula One winner, and that's something very positive for our sport."

subset: commoncrawl


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While he admits he had no desire to watch the first season of The Voice, Maroon 5 guitarist James Valentine is thankful for his bandmate's working relationship with Christina Aguilera which led to their collaboration on "Moves Like Jagger."
"Working with Christina was great. We had this section in the middle that we knew would be good for a feature for somebody else to come in and sing," Valentine said. "She was a natural choice because she was just a few feet away from Adam on The Voice and she nailed it."
Though Maroon 5 only performed the song once with Christina, Valentine was impressed.
"She's got such an amazing voice," he said. "Just hearing her voice coming through my monitor speakers was insane. It's truly a classic. We were lucky to have her on there."
Aguilera and Maroon 5 debuted the song during a performance on the first season of The Voice. While Valentine confessed he hadn't watched the show before, he had good reason.
"I spend so much time with Adam and so much of my life is listening to Adam's opinions on things that I didn't need to tune in to hear that for entertainment. That seemed more like my daily life," he said.
But by season two he caught onto the craze.
"I happened to be in my hotel room when season two debuted and I watched the first episode and I was hooked right away. I was like, 'Oh, okay I get it. I get why people love this show.'"
And his take on his bandmate's opinions?
"It was cool to see Adam on it. He comes off great on the show and it really highlights the best aspects of his personality and it really comes through on the show," he added.
So who was his favorite artist this season?
"I was pulling for Tony Lucca from that very first episode. I thought he could go all the way. I was a little bummed that he didn't win. But of course I'm happy for Jermaine," he said. "That's the thing about the show too, everyone . . . even if you get to the auditions, the level of talent is already really high. Everybody who makes it to the end, they all deserve to win."
– Annie Reuter CBS Local


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A decade has passed since Warren Beatty's last appeared on screen in Town & Country. Last week at the Hero Complex Film Festival, Beatty brought up the possibility of a Dick Tracy sequel — but the skeptics outnumber the faithful 20 to 1 on that claim. The Dick Tracy comment at least demonstrated Beatty's disinterest in retirement. Moreover, Beatty has reportedly been shopping around an original screenplay for the past couple weeks. Tonight Paramount announced a deal with Beatty to produced, direct, and star in the untitled project. Paramount declined to reveal story details — Variety hints it may be the Howard Hughes movie that Beatty has "long wanted to do," yet Deadline refers to the project as a comedy. (Not sure what to make of that. If Dick Tracy fought Howard Hughes, that would be funny, right?)
Casting is currently underway; production is scheduled for later this year. As someone who always wondered why follow the last stage of the Clint Eastwood career arc, I'd like to say, "Welcome back, Mr. Beatty. Godspeed."


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Peter G. Watson
President and Chief Executive Officer
Pete Watson has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Greif Inc., since November 1, 2015. Pete previously was Chief Operating Officer for Greif. As CEO, Pete's vision for Greif is … "In industrial packaging, be the best performing customer service company in the world". This vision, together with developing a culture based on Servant Leadership, has been adopted by Greif's 17,000 world-wide employees, and is propelling Greif to be a global leader in industrial packaging. Since joining the company in 1999, Pete has served in a variety of executive positions, including Group President for Paper Packaging, Land Management, and Global Sourcing and Supply Chain. He also served as Division President of Paper Packaging, and President of CorrChoice (a Greif division), and Vice President of Corrugated Operations. Pete holds a Masters and Bachelor's degree from Springfield College in Massachusetts. Pete serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Forest & Paper Association, is a member of the OhioHealth Board of Directors, a member of the Columbus Partnership, and the Ohio Business Roundtable. He is also serving as the Chair for the 2019 Central Ohio American Heart Association Heart Walk campaign.


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Although we feel confident about our data and the positive impact this change will have, we want to try it out with a small group of people before we make a decision to launch to everyone. What matters most is that this works for our community – we will be collecting data and gathering feedback along the way. We're hoping fewer Tweets run into the character limit, which should make it easier for everyone to Tweet.How many of us who experience Twitter in English even noticed that people who tweeted in Korean and Japanese were able to cram more meaning into a single tweet? I can't believe this was the pressure Twitter felt from users about the character limit. I can believe that there were Twitter insiders who could see that Twitter functioned differently in Korean and Japanese and arrived at the opinion that English-speaking Twitter users would appreciate a similar freedom to write without feeling so much pressure from the character limit.
I know, as a writer, I prefer blogging to tweeting because I like having the power to decide how long or short to go, and I think that works out for me, as a writer, because I go for concision on my own. But as a reader, I prefer Twitter. I read it several times a day and follow over 200 tweeters, while I read woefully few blogs. Bloggers tend to relax, get blabby, and don't edit for concision.
Twitter is about brevity. It's what makes it such a great way to see what's happening. Tweets get right to the point with the information or thoughts that matter. That is something we will never change.But it is going to change!
We understand since many of you have been Tweeting for years, there may be an emotional attachment to 140 characters – we felt it, too.Like it's just a fetish and not something that really makes the reading experience better.
But we tried this, saw the power of what it will do, and fell in love with this new, still brief, constraint.280 is still a limit, and Twitter may very well be right that 280 characters (in English) is better because of what it's already seeing writers do in Japanese and Korean. I might tweet more at 280, because after writing a blog post on a subject, I don't like the distraction of figuring out the puzzle of figuring out what the core thought putting it in as few words as possible. I can see what is lost, and I'm doing more work to fit their limit. I'm all about living freely in writing, so why would I want this endless restraint?
Fortune writes:
Many Twitter users try to work around the 140-character limit by posting their more verbose thoughts in a series of tweets, called "threads" or "tweet storms," with each subsequent tweet a "reply" to the previous post. Earlier this month, Twitter started testing a feature that allows users to pre-write a series of tweets and then post them all at once as a thread.I think Twitter is thinking about writers, not readers. Twitter — the hungry business — needs more and more people joining the giant conversation. For that, it needs to be fun and easy. Challenging writers to keep it super-short must seem to limit the growth of the enterprise. But how will the reader experience change? Perhaps it will be great. 280 characters is still short, and over-compressed writing can be harder to read. Certainly, the thread and "tweet storm" work-around isn't fun for the reader.
All of these tests and new features are examples of Twitter trying to make its service more user-friendly, as the company tries to battle disappointing user growth that has weighed down the company's share price (TWTR, -2.30%). Twitter's latest character limit test also comes at a time when the company is facing criticism over its efforts to cut down on the amount of offensive content, including hate speech, that is posted on the service.
And maybe freedom from excessive compression will help with some of the problems that are seen as "offensive content." A few more words might eliminate some of the brusqueness, ambiguities, and misinterpretations. There might be less advantage in getting off a sudden potshot. With more room to write, you might take more time and cool off a bit or be tempted into elegance or wry humor or perhaps even hear the call of higher values.
I pasted that last sentence into the Twitter compose window and the 140-character limit cut me off before I could say "of higher values."


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Screen checks out the latest Secret Cinema production, which runs to Dec 2.
Secret Cinema often seem to start with a suit, although the suit for last night could not have been further from the boiler suit we rocked for their summer production of Prometheus.
Last night, Screen went once more unto the unknown breach for Secret Cinema's 19th production and, arguably, their finest yet.
Wholly immersive and frequently thrilling, it turns out that transforming a 190,000 sq ft building into a spaceship wasn't even close to the heights of interactive theatre that Secret Cinema can reach.
What's more, while we thought we knew where this current production resided, we were swiftly whisked away to a secret location with a 30-minute introduction that was intense to say the least.
The performers were so in-character that it was easy to forget that it was all an act. The easily swayed may just find themselves rocking back and forth, repeating 'It's not real, it's not real'.
Once settled in, it becomes a pattern familiar to anyone who's previously experienced Secret Cinema. If there's a door, find out what's behind it; that murky-looking corridor ahead, find out what's at the end as there'll always be something.
But what is brilliant about this production is that you find yourself becoming an actor for certain aspects of the night in subtly ingenious ways. Secret Cinema has always been an interactive experience, allowing participants to become as involved as they want, but this time your "role" affects others.
Even more than ever, it feels like an open world video game. Decisions we found ourselves making throughout the night actually shaped how the experience unfolded. But instead of thinking what you might have missed as a result of your actions, there is the belief you have had a unique experience.
Throughout the night, structured scenes take place all around and it often becomes a case of being in the right place at the right time. But the climax is a truly spine-tingling moment of live theatre before being ushered into the screening room for the night's film.
At this point, you could find yourself disappointed that there is no more time to explore every nook and cranny of this highly impressive production.
However, for this production, there is a simple, yet utterly superb, event during the film that reminds you that - for a truly immersive cinematic experience - there's nothing quite like Secret Cinema out there.
But wait. The film is over and we should be making our way home, sad to be back in the guise of our regular selves - yet we've been summoned for an overnight stay.
Secret Hotel is a new addition to Secret Cinema's repertoire and predictably, they've gone all out.
Actors remain in character right up to the moment our head hits the pillow, allowing us to further explore our assumed identity, which we do with added relish, and start up as soon as our eyes open in the morning.
It is a strong addition to an already impressive collection and for anyone wanting the full experience, it cannot be recommended enough.
It turns out that 19 might be the magic number for Secret Cinema. Screen is looking forward to number 20 already… maybe something other than a suit next time though?
Further tickets for this production of Secret Cinema, which runs to Dec 2, go on sale today (Nov 7) at 1pm. For tickets, visit www.secretcinema.org/tickets and for spaces at the Secret Hotel, visit www.secretcinema.org/hotel.html
All photos: Laura Little


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Burger King in talks to buy Canadian giant
Burger King is in talks to buy Tim Hortons and form a new publicly listed company based in Canada.
The two fast-food companies announced Sunday that Burger King majority owner 3G Capital would continue to own the majority of shares of the new company, with the remainder held by shareholders of Tim Hortons and Burger King.
The companies say Miami-based Burger King Worldwide Inc. and Ontario-based Tim Hortons Inc. would continue to operate as separate brands but would share corporate services.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the talks and that the companies say there's no assurance a deal will happen.
The new company would have 18,000 restaurants in 100 countries with about $22 billion in sales. The companies say that would make it the world's third-largest fast-food restaurant company.


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Our first glimpse at a post-Lagerfeld Chanel.
What would fashion be without Chanel? The legendary Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel is perhaps the most important designer of the 20th century. Her influence is consistently seen in modern day, with Chanel signaturesthe chain-link quilted handbags, tweed jackets, chunky costume jewelry, and even the little black dressbeing among fashion's most replicated designs. Über-designer Karl Lagerfeld heads the house today, bringing new energy to the venerable French brand. While Chanel's most collectible and covetable items are woven into each collection, Lagerfeld keeps the brand au courant by creating bags in cool leathers and colors, and a ready-to-wear line that extends beyond cocktail dresses and boxy tweed suits.
What every model wore on Chanel Flight No. 5


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If there is one thing we know of our audience it's that you embrace minimalist design ethic especially that of the Metro UI school of Microsoft. Indeed, this is one of the selling points of Windows Phone with its focus on design language, even for third-party apps.
Simply Weather is a new, free weather app for Windows Phone 8 and while it doesn't pack a lot in features, it does look very sharp and we expect many of you to swoon over it due to its unique design. It's somewhat reminiscent of Haze for iOS, though it's clearly not a copycat.
Peep our video hands on and screenshots after the break...
The app has a very sparse main screen where it reveals with very minimal detail the current conditions. This is represented by a single, flat weather icon and the current temperature. The background color, in a subtle manner, reflects those current conditions as well, so our "Partly Cloudy" shows a greyish blue whereas a Clear/Sunny forecast will warrant a more blue/green color scheme.
The next interesting aspect comes by swiping from the left edge of your screen where you are shown the forecast for the next five-days. Once again, only a simple flat icon and the day's high/low are shown, keeping things as clean as possible. Likewise, swiping down from the top of the display will reveal a few settings, including Celsius/Fahrenheit and whether or not to use current location and what is that current location.
Simply Weather also supports Lock Screens support, though it's less useful due it not actually showing current weather conditions as a temperature but rather instead it shows a weather background image reflecting current conditions. It's not a bad choice as it does keep our lock screen pretty, but for those accustomed to Amazing Weather HD or Weather Flow, you will find it lacking.
There are a few bugs with the initial release e.g. the time of the last update in the corner is off and refreshing of the tile can have a delay (especially if you change from Celsius to Fahrenheit) but overall, we do find Simply Weather to be quite refreshing.
It's clean, it's simple, looks great and it's free with no ads. We're not sure if it'll stay like that with future updates, but so far, we like where this is going and we think some of you will too.
You can pick up Simply Weather here in the Windows Phone Store (Windows Phone 8 only). Thanks, Aron, for the heads up!
ZeniMax's 'Orion,' and how it will boost Microsoft's Xbox cloud streaming
When Microsoft purchased ZeniMax this week, we were all blinded by the dazzling array of amazing games that will now be exclusive to Xbox platforms. There's another massive aspect of this package that is being a tad overlooked.
Swift for Windows is now a thing; tools available for download now.
The Swift programming language has come to Windows, as the open source project makes tools available for download.
All the best games coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X in 2020 and beyond
What's coming to Xbox Series X and Xbox One in the future? Here are the biggest and brightest games we're looking forward to.
Make the most of your Surface Pen and Slim Pen with these awesome apps
To really maximize the ability of the Surface Pen and Slim Pen, there are some essential apps you should check out. We've rounded up the best right here for a variety of purposes.


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Film Review- 'Mad Max: Fury Road' (****)
Mad Max: Fury Road **** (out of 5)
Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Zoe Kravitz, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Abbey Lee, Courtney Eaton, Riley Keough, Nathan Jones, Josh Helman, and Hugh Keays-Byrne
Written by: George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, and Nick Lathouris
Directed by: George Miller
If you've ever been to an art gallery, maybe you can relate. When I browse art, it's clear that some pieces are great, and I appreciate them for that. That isn't to say I'm moved to form an attachment, nor do I care for them beyond a passing glance. I feel much of the same towards Mad Max: Fury Road. It's a very well-made action film, occasionally fun, always weird, and daring, but I certainly don't care to remember it. Can I consider the film to be a masterpiece, or George Miller to be a visionary? I'm sorry to disappoint, but this franchise's third sequel never "breaks the mold" or sets new standards for action films. It just happens to be a superb action movie, with superb parts that I'm going to easily forget. Here's a thought- were audiences ever really clamoring for another Mad Max film? Did the "Thunderdome" really leave us yearning for more? No, but I suppose if an iconic character exists, and the opportunity to unload more tales of apocalypse on an apocalypse-starved society presents itself, why not? Fury Road will certainly give those hungry for a heaping of nihilism a bellyful of joy.
Max himself is basically the same guy thirty years after we last saw him. He doesn't really want to be a part of the aftermath of civilization. He just wants to survive. That's fine for us; after all, we don't need another hero (see what I did there!). He's on the scene, he appreciates the struggle of the good guy, but he doesn't have much to say or do. Well, he occasionally hallucinates, but that's about the extent of his 'madness'. Max will defend himself to the death, and in the process will likely take out a dozen or so foot soldiers. For a film entitled Mad Max, however, you'd think it would, well, center around that character and his struggle. It's simply not his struggle, and as wonderful as Tom Hardy can be, a multitude of actors could have played Max. He's captured by the soldiers of the despot Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne, the same actor who portrayed the lead villain in the original Mad Max), and held as a prisoner/perverted version of a blood bag. This need for blood comes from Nux (Hoult), a dying "War Boy" doing his best post-apocalyptic Jack Skellington cosplay.
In the meantime, one of Immortan Joe's warriors has attempted a daring escape with his five wives in tow. I suppose it's not hard to imagine why Imperator Furiosa (Theron) went rogue- what with the forced malnutrition of most everyone inside the 'citadel', the forced milking of childbearing aged women, and Joe's generally disgusting nature, what's not to like? Furiosa drives the 'War Rig', a mythological beast of a vehicle. It's like something out of a twelve-year-old boy's pre-pubescent dream: armored to the nines, equipped with secret switches and compartments, molded from several cars, tractors, and tanks, sucking up all sorts of gasoline, spewing forth oodles of noxious fumes, and eating your Prius for breakfast.
The War Rig is wonderful, but not as much as its' driver. The hard-boiled Furiosa yearns for the 'green land' of her youth, a place where grass grows and water flows. Nothing will stop her, not even a convoy of War Boys ordered to search and destroy. Nux has been enlisted to drive in this convoy, believing to serve a higher purpose, and hoists poor Max on his vehicle like a drip chamber from a nurse's nightmare. The feverish pursuit of Furiosa across the 'Wasteland' sees a legion of muscle-bound psychopaths use every trick in the spiky, armored car playbook to bring her to justice, but will it work? In the frenzy, Max battles with, then finds himself aligned with Furiosa toward a common goal- escape.
None of this plot really matters, though. There are explosions to enjoy, faces to tear off, sharp things to pierce people, and mega-ton boulders that crush cars! In all sincerity, George Miller is due some credit. He's made a fun film, and despite a lead character that no one cares for, he's made up for it in other areas. The film is stunning to look at. Miller and cinematographer John Seale shoot the desert as if it isn't full of bland, khaki tones and lifelessness. Fury Road is also a film with a great deal of odd character, and odd characters, a clear hallmark of the franchise. Think of the catalog of names: Rictus Erectus, Toast the Knowing, Cheedo the Fragile. Really? Think of the societal norms we witness: the 'chrome kiss' given to War Boys on the verge of death, the wives wearing metal chastity belts adorned with fangs, the post-apocalyptic 'drummer boy' leading the war cry with his awesome 'flame guitar', and even Immortan Joe's odd body armor.
What I believe the film will be known for most is the creation of Furiosa. Theron plays her like a warrior; not a female warrior, but a warrior. She doesn't align with Max out of a need for romance, he doesn't save her, and they both pound on the enemy. She's an equal, a partner if anything. You could argue that Max needs her. Theron is so good as Furiosa, the clear hero of the film. She's the best action leading lady I've seen in some time, and deserves a place in line with Ripley, Trinity, and other characters I'm likely forgetting. Then again, she's no stranger to challenging the norm for women on-screen (see Monster, Young Adult, Snow White and the Huntsman).
Let's go a bit further and state that 'blurring the lines' of gender matters, and Miller and Theron have put their best face forward to ensure that happens. As I understand it, Miller enlisted the help of The Vagina Monologues creator Eve Ensler to shape some of the film's characters. I suppose that made enough of a difference, as the film's best characters, the ones with the most moral of centers, are all women. They've always been capable of leading an action film, though, and I'd argue women are better at it. Ellen Ripley is still, eighteen years after her last appearance, the best action character. Calm your mind, gents. I'm certain that the feminists are not taking over your action films. However, women can and should be just as efficient at leading an action film as men, and be just as damn exciting doing it.
If we can separate ourselves from the need to consider an excellent action film "groundbreaking" or "legendary", or from calling George Miller a "master", we can enjoy Fury Road for what it excels at. It's a 120-minute playback of an adolescent's dreams, complete with just enough violence, explosions, nudity, language, and cool stuff to keep it fun and not depraved. Just enjoy the Doof Warrior, as he shreds his flame guitar into battle. Enjoy watching monster trucks collide across the plains of desolation. Enjoy Furiosa's mad dash to reclaim her childhood and restore something pure about this future world. Then, like I have already done, forget about it, and move on to something that does warrant more than your Saturday afternoon's attention.


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First look at BULLETSTORM collectible...
Grayson Hunt Action Figure - Painted Prototype
For a great selection of video game action figures and collectibles, check out BigBadToyStore.com, ToyWiz.com, PastGenerationToys.com, Urban-Collector.com, HobbyLinkJapan.com, and Sekaido.com.
To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with our sponsor Collectibles Insurance.
EPIC has a video game coming out next year that has me really excited... and I'm not talking about Gears of War 3, though I'm pretty excited about that title too. I'm talking about Bulletstorm, an over-the-top sci-fi shooter developed by People Can Fly.
What promises to set Bulletstorm apart from the first-person shooter pack is its unique gameplay. Dubbed "creative mayhem" by its designers, Bulletstorm's combat system encourages imaginative kills using an arsenal of weapons, your body and the environment. Playing as a drunken space pirate named Grayson Hunt, gamers will fight their way through waves of cannibalistic mutants and towering space monsters, all the while racking up "Skill Shots". Pop a creature in the head with your Peace Maker Carbine for a garden-variety "Headshot" or whip them into a wall with your trusty energy "Leash" for a more mature "Bad Touch". Like the unbridled carnage of the game, the Skill Shot verbiage can get rather risque. Check out the Bulletstorm walkthrough below for a taste of what this explosive game has to offer.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qyri5tmID7Y]YouTube - Bulletstorm - Producer Walkthrough mit Cliff Bleszinski[/ame]
Excited yet? As a fan of shoot 'em up sci-fi, I can't wait. Bulletstorm hits retail February 22, 2011, but before the game's launch, collectibles manufacturer NECA will be releasing a detailed action figure of Bulletstorm's protagonist, Grayson Hunt. To discover more about this amazing new collectible, we went to NECA's Head of Product Development Randy Falk for the inside scoop. Read on...
2011 is shaping up to be quite an "EPIC" year for NECA (pun intended). You have all-new Gears of War collectibles coming, as well as a surprise action figure from Bulletstorm. How were you approached to make toys for the latter?
RANDY FALK: This past Spring I was visiting Epic to go over reference for Gears 3 and out of nowhere Chris Perna and Cliff Bleszinski dropped Bulletstorm on me. They showed me some of the designs and the gorgeous Game Informer cover Perna was working on and I was sold without even seeing the gameplay. It had such a great look and the characters are very dynamic and they just look they should be action figures.
Grayson Hunt Action Figure - Painted Prototype
The game demos for Bulletstorm look outrageously cool. Have you had a chance to play it yet, you know, for action figure "research"?
The development team at People Can Fly strike me as people that "get" collectible action figures. Bulletstorm's pulpy sci-fi setting practically screams it. How closely did NECA work with People Can Fly in the making of the Grayson Hunt action figure? What do they think of it?RANDY FALK: I have had a chance to play a little and I cant wait to delve into it more. It is incredibly fun and unique in the world of shooters it really stands out.
RANDY FALK: Actually I have done all my development through Epic who I have worked with for a few years now on Gears of War. We have a great relationship and Epic is amazing at getting us reference and providing helpful art direction through the whole process. I believe Epic shares everything with PCF as we progress but I have not had the chance to deal with them directly yet.
Grayson Hunt Action Figure - Painted Prototype
Just like a real space pirate, Grayson appears world-weary, yet still eager for adventure. His unique attire suggests he's been around the galaxy more than once, dressed for both comfort and combat. Who at NECA was responsible for Grayson's incredible sculpt and what reference helped shape his creation?
RANDY FALK: Grayson was a little bit of a collaboration but the majority of the sculpture was handled by Adrienne Smith and the fabrication by Jeff Richard Brad Haskins. We got great turn-around and detail reference from the folks at Epic on Grayson and his accessories. It all went very smooth and was a lot of fun to work on.
Grayson Hunt Action Figure - Painted Prototype
Bulletstorm is all about blowing stuff up with a variety of destructive weapons. What kind of damage-dealing accessories can we expect with the Grayson Hunt action figure?
Grayson is a man of over-the-top action; shootin', whippin' and kickin' evil mutants and space monsters to their death. What kind of heroic poses will fans be able to display their Grayson Hunt action figure in?RANDY FALK: Grayson comes equipped with his PMC rifle, goggles that can be placed on or off the head, and the "Leash" attachment for the back of his left hand.
RANDY FALK: There should be lots of pose opportunity as Grayson is pretty well articulated including a ball jointed neck, wrists, shoulders, and ankles along with insert molded ball-hinged elbows and knees. He also has the t-crotch with hip/disc joints and mid-thigh swivels like we did on Dead Space Isaac, Chris Redfield, Sam Fisher and so on.
Grayson Hunt Action Figure - Painted Prototype
How tall will the Grayson Hunt figure stand? Can we have him fight alongside Marcus Fenix and our other Gears of War action figures?
Speaking of evil mutants, any plans for action figures of the crazy, cannibalistic creatures of the game? How about his cybernetic sidekick, Ishi Sato?RANDY FALK: He stands 7" tall and fits in perfectly with the Gears gang and our Player Select line.
RANDY FALK: Sato is awesome and we really hope to get to him but we only had time for Grayson for the game release. Our schedule was jammed up going into Q1 of 2011 especially with Gears 3 (now postponed) so if Bulletstorm is the hit it deserves to be then hopefully we can produce Ishi for later in the year.
Grayson Hunt Action Figure - Painted Prototype
Probably the most important question of this interview: When can we get our hands on the Grayson action figure and how much will he retail for? Our international readers need details too!
Will there be a Bulletstorm game bundle or promo that includes the Grayson Hunt figure?RANDY FALK: Grayson will begin shipping from China at the end of December in order to be on shelf with the game release in February. He will be available at Toys"R"Us, Amazon, FYE, Comic & Specialty Shops worldwide. Were working on the packaging design now and were on schedule.
Think quick! You're surrounded by man-eating mutants and they're closing in fast. Which weapon do you use to take them down: Boot, Energy Leash or Peace Maker Carbine?RANDY FALK: I don't believe there will be.
RANDY FALK: Peace Maker Carbine all the way!!!
PMC Early Prototype
Special thanks to the kind people at EPIC and NECA's always supportive Randy Falk for the incredible Bulletstorm Grayson Hunt action figure preview. Keep up the awesome games and toys! For more on Bulletstorm, visit the official website at www.Bulletstorm.com.


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The Central Connecticut women's basketball team has announced the addition of four student-athletes for the 2014-15 academic year. All four individuals signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball and study at CCSU.
Brianna Jacobs (Glen Burnie, MD), Emma Stroyan (Bloomington, IL), Camden Musgrave (Bowie, MD) and Caitland Considine (Greenville, SC) comprise the CCSU women's basketball Class of 2018.
"This year's class has four young ladies that have strong work ethics," head coach Beryl piper said on Friday morning. "They all want to be great players and have high expectations for our program."
Here is a more detailed look at each incoming student-athlete:
Jacobs is a 5-9 small forward who played high school basketball for the McDonogh School and head coach Brad Rees. She also suited up for the Maryland Pride AAU program and coach Tony Gorham. The last two seasons Jacobs and her McDonogh teammates have reached the IAAM Championship game. The team won the IAAM Championship in 2012 and then finished as the runner-up in 2013. Individually, she earned Bishop Walsh All-Tournament honors after finishing the event as the leading rebounder. She also earned the Sportsmanship Award at the Rose Classic Tournament. Jacobs is also a standout in track and field, where she is the defending IAAM Champion in shot put.
Jacobs on CCSU: "I chose CCSU because I strongly feel that it's a place I can call home. The coaches and players are great and extremely welcoming and I know it is somewhere I will be able to become both a better player and student. Most importantly I chose CCSU because I believe it is a place I will be happy to spend my next four years."
Piper on Jacobs: "Brianna is a tough defender with an aggressive personality on the floor. She will rebound with intensity and will outwork her opponents. We are thrilled to have a player with such great work ethic join our family."
Musgrave is 5-7 guard from Elizabeth Seton High School where she played for head coach Jonathan Scruggs. Musgrave is also a member of the Maryland Pride AAU team coached by Tony Gorham. While playing for Elizabeth Seton, Musgrave earned Second Team All-WCAC honors. She also earned All-Defensive honors from the WCAC.
Musgrave on CCSU: "I love the family atmosphere of the CCSU community. They strive for each student to be the best they can be."
Piper on Musgrave: "We are excited to have Camden join the program. Her athletic ability and shooters mentality will be exciting to watch. She understands how to push tempo and has great body control getting to the rim."
Stroyan, 6-2, is a center for University High School and head coach Laura Sellers. She also plays for AAU Midwest Elite and coaches Ralph Gesualdo and Randy Weibel. A four-year starter, Stroyan has been second on her team in points and rebounds the last three seasons. As a junior she earned Second Team All-Cornbelt Conference amd Second Team Pantagraph All-Area. Off the court she earned USJN All-Star Academic Team, Prairie State Achievement Award for science, was a Voice of Democracy local winner and is a member of the National Honor Society.
Stroyan on CCSU: "The players really made me feel welcome, the coaching staff cared about me as a person and a player, and the campus was beautiful. There was a good family atmosphere at CCSU which is exactly what I was looking for in a college."
Piper on Stroyan: "Emma is a great fundamental post player. She has the ability to finish on the interior and can defend the low block. She has a deceptive agility and will be able to keep up with our style of play. She will fit in well and add to our post game."
Considine is a 5-9 guard who played for head coach Nicole Hood at Mauldin High School. She also played for coach Anthony Toney on the SC 76ers AAU team. A four-year starter, Considine helped her team to a victory at the 2011 Bojangles Holiday Tournament and third place finish at the Upward Classic Tournament. Last season, she received her team's "Work Horse" Award. She also earned Class 4A All-Region honors last season. In addition, she graduated from the Point Guard College in 2012 and 2013. Considine was also a standout goalkeeper for her school's soccer team, helping the squad to a state title.
Considine on CCSU: "I chose CCSU because academically they offer exactly what I am looking for and the basketball program was the icing on the cake! They are a "Family" that has the same vision, goals and determination that align perfectly with mine. I am excited to be a part of the Lady Blue Devil Family!"
Piper on Considine: "Caitland is a guard who can score in many ways. Her midrange game and ability to see the floor will compliment her teammates."


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First, let's dispense with the obvious. There is every damn reason in the universe for a grown adult man to be thinking about Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving rules. So stop being the contrarian asshole who bitches about how Thanksgiving represents the subjugation of the American Indian by foreign invaders and get over yourself. Also, please try to not have intercourse with the can of cranberry sauce this year.
Problem 1
Turkey only remains at the perfect temperature for consumption for approximately 17 nanoseconds. Ever cook a turkey? It comes out of the oven piping hot (of course). You let it sit for a while before attempting to carve it. When you carve it it's still so hot that you burn the snot out of your fingers as you joyfully yank the drumstick from the body. It's still hot as you layer it on the serving platter. It's somewhat less hot as it gets passed around the table and you pile it with wonderful gravy and mashed potatoes. It's almost perfect as you bow your head for grace. And as you shove your loaded fork to your fat greedy mouth... it's stone fucking cold.
Will optimal turkey temperature be realized in out lifetime? Probably not.
Problem 2
Black Friday. We all know Black Friday sucks. The deals aren't that good. It's now a day earlier, forcing people to work on Thanksgiving. People die every year. Only morons who've been kicked in the head by a mule would be dumb enough to shop on Back Friday.
But worse than all that, plus a million Hitlers, is that it's given name to the dumbest shopping "holiday" of all time: Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday is the perfect storm of stupidity that occurs when desperate retailers combine their idiot powers with desperate news media to create something to sell, be it actual physical items or advertising slots. Cyber Monday is the name your mom (who's still rocking her aol account) would come up with at her book club dinner to the delight (and secret envy) of her fellow lady friends. To borrow another terrible phrase, Cyber Monday jumped the shark the second it was first uttered. Don't let me ever catch you saying it.
Problem 3
Breathless traffic reports. "Well let me tell you Anne, the I-95 corridor is just going to be packed over the next few days!" NO FUCKING SHIT. Every single year we get the same rehashed reports about the increase in traffic jams and flight delays. Say, will the weather play a factor? We're on pins and needles over here. There is some schmuck at AAA who hates his terrible, terrible job, but stays on year after year in order to bask in the glory of being quoted in the CNN scroll. If there is any justice in the world, that guy misses his connecting flight every year.
These have been some of the problems I have with the United States holiday of Thanksgiving.


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Earlier this month, Samsung unveiled the Google Edition of Galaxy S4 which was packed with the stock Android, instead of the ugly TouchWiz UI and its gimmicky features. Following the footsteps of Samsung, HTC went ahead and announced a similar variant of its extremely popular HTC One smartphone. You heard it right! The HTC One Google Edition will be shipped with the stock version of the most recent build of Android Operating System.
"A special edition of the new HTC One running stock Android will be exclusively available through the Google Play store in the United States starting on June 26th. This edition pairs the all-metal unibody design, low-light capabilities of the UltraPixel camera and dual front-facing stereo speakers of the new HTC One with the stock version of the latest Android software, Jelly Bean 4.2.2," HTC said in a statement.
There are no major changes in the specs of this device. It comes with the usual 4.7 inch full HD display, sporting a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, 1.7 GHz Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor, Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) Operating System, 4 megapixel/ultrapixel rear-facing camera, 2.1 megapixel front-facing camera, 2 GB RAM, 32 GB internal memory, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, 3G/4G Connectivity, NFC (Near Field Communication), HDMI-out, Bluetooth 4.0, DLNA and 2300 mAh battery.
HTC One Google Edition will go on sale from June 26 via Play Store in the US. This handset comes with a price tag of $599, while the Galaxy S4 Google Edition will be available for $649. Which handset are you planning to buy? Let us know in the comments section below.


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Women's Long & Calf-Length Boots
Discover a massive range of mid to long length boots for women, available to buy online from Wynsors.com. Mid and long boots are a great way to stay stylish and practical throughout the year, especially on rainy days or during the cold winter months. From long leather boots or mid length suede, we have got you covered all year round.


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By Tina Allen, LMT, CPMMT, CPMT, CIMT
In today's world economy, we often find that most parents are working outside of the home. This may mean a two parent home has both parents working outside of the home to keep their bills paid and food on the table. This may also mean that we see a reversal of roles, as compared to our 1950s ideals of families, where a father may stay at home with the children while the mother works outside of the home. Or the traditional stay-at-home mother while the father is working.
In any case, we find that the children are missing out on valuable nurturing and bonding time with their parents.
While it is essential that parents work to support their families, it is also essential that parents find ways to connect and bond with their children. To support children, show them they are loved and provide care and attention.
Yes, when you come home from work in the evening, exhausted or in a bad mood because of that particular co-worker, this may seem like one more thing to do that you just can't find the time for. But it is imperative that you spend time with children, even if it means that you have to skip washing the dishes or folding the laundry. Those things can wait, children cannot.
So what do you do to spend this essential time with your children?
If you have a baby or very young child, infant massage can be the perfect nurturing and bonding activity. This massage can be a quiet time, stand-alone activity, or can even be done while you are providing the essential care you would be anyway, such as changing a diaper or giving a bath. During these times take a few extra moments to speak lovingly with your baby, make eye contact, and provide nurturing strokes on her legs and arms. Maybe just before or at bedtime, provide some long soothing strokes down her back. Not only will the massage help you both to connect, it will also help you both to relax due to the increase of oxytocin – the relaxing and nurturing hormone — in both yourself and your baby.
Toddlers and the Growing Child
If you have an older child, a toddler or school age child, try reading a story together. During the story you can use your hands to draw the pictures or characters on his back. Allow your child to help make up the story so that he can participate in suggesting the types of nurturing touch he may wish to feel. This simple activity can take just minutes or you may find it spreads out across a greater portion of the evening. In any case, together you'll spend valuable time and share in very special moments that cannot be replaced.
Taking Time for Nurturing Touch is Time Well Invested
Children need nurturing touch to thrive in all aspects of life, socially, academically and cognitively. Without an appropriate amount of nurturing touch in their daily lives, children suffer horrible consequences: feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, lack of confidence, and social skills. Find a few moments each evening to reconnect with your children through massage and nurturing touch.
Discuss this topic with other API members and parents. Get advice for your parenting challenges, and share your tips with others on the API Forum.


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Bruce Sterling and Jon Lebkowsky have just begun their 13th annual "State of the World" conversation on The Well. (2011's State of the World here.)
inkwell.vue.430 : Bruce Sterling and Jon Lebkowsky: State of the World 2012
permalink #6 of 13: Bruce Sterling (bruces) Wed 4 Jan 12 18:06
It's surprising how little vitality these have nowadays. Instead of fanaticallly dedicating themselves to narrow, all-explanatory cults, people just sort of eyeblink at 'em and move on to the next similiar topic. In a true Network Society, all fringe beliefs about the future seem to be more or less equivalent, like Visa, American Express and Mastercard. "Conservatism" conserves nothing; there is no "progression" in which to progress.
Peak Oil. Oil probably "peaked" quite some time ago, but the "peak" itself doesn't seem to bother markets much. The imaginary Armageddon got old-fashioned fast. Peak Oil has peaked.
Islamic Caliphate... With the collapse of so many Arab regimes, these guys are in the condition of dogs that caught a taxi. "Sharia Law" is practically useless for any contemporary purpose, and Arabs never agree about anything except forcing non-Arabs to believe.
Chemtrails. These guys are pitiable loons, but they're interesting harbingers of a future when even scientific illiterates are deathly afraid of the sky. It's interesting that we have cults of people who walk outside and read the sky like a teacup. I've got a soft spot for chemtrail people, they're really just sort of cool, and much more interesting than UFO cultists, who are all basically Christians. Jesus is always the number one Saucer Brother in UFO contactee cults. It's incredible how little imagination the saucer people have.
BitCoin. An ultimate Internet hacker fad. You'd think they were encrypting food and shelter, what with the awesome enthusiasm they had for this abstract scheme.
Space Travel people. Visible mostly by their absence nowadays. About the only ones left are nutcase one-percenters of a certain generation, with money to burn on their private space yachts. This was such a huge narrative of the consensus future, for such a long time, that it's really interesting to see it die in public. There's no popular understanding of why space cities don't work, though if you told them they'd have to spend the rest of their lives in the fuselage of a 747 at 30,000 feet, they'd be like "Gosh that's terrible."
Transcendant spiritual drug enthusiasts. People consume unbelievable amounts of narcotics nowadays, but there used to be gentle, unworldly characters who genuinely thought this practice was good for you, and would give you marijuana and psychedelics because they were convinced they were doing you a big, life-changing favor.
You go into one of those medical marijuana dispensaries nowadays, they're like huckster chiropractors, basically. The whole ethical-free-spirit surround of the psychedelic dreamtime is gone. It's like the tie-dyed guys toking up in the ashram have been replaced by the carcasses of 12,000 slaughtered Mexicans.
Nuclear Armageddon enthusiasts. Kind of a flicker-of-interest for this around Iran right now. Nothing compared to the colossal cultural influence that this paradigm once commanded. The WMD invasion of Iraq, kind of the last hurrah for this, it's tragedy redone as farce.
You show somebody a Dr Strangelove mushroom cloud these days, they're like, "What is that, Fukushima? I don't get it."
I could go on about other people's futurisms. Doing Italy and Serbia is tempting. But despite the variegated change-drivers that these interest-groups imagine, I remain pretty sure that all these groups are heading for a future world where they're elderly, urbanized and afraid of the sky.
Even if you believe in reptiloids, you're gonna be a reptiloid-believing guy in a pretty big town with a lot of your neighbors pushing walkers in a heat wave.
inkwell.vue.430 : Bruce Sterling and Jon Lebkowsky: State of the World 2012
permalink #7 of 13: Jon Lebkowsky (jonl) Wed 4 Jan 12 22:09
I'm thinking H.G. Wells would never have written the hyperpessimistic "Mind at the End of Its Tether" if he'd had a televison set, 24-hour cable, high-speed Internet access and accounts on Facebook and Twitter. Our heads are buzzing with possibility, spinning ever faster into the alternate realities that your various futurisms suggest. I say "realities," but I'm not sure the word "reality" has much weight these days - more like competing fantasies, in the sense that Kesey et al talked about "the current fantasy" and others of us talked about "believing your own bullshit." Conflicting, competing narratives are the real games we play. Wells thought he was seeing human extinction, though it might have been his own personal extinction getting under his skin. We all have an expiration date, and that can be liberating or maddening, depending how you take it.
The Pentagon is bending light to hide events: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/01/time-hole/ "This is the first time that scientists have succeeded in masking an event, though research teams have in recent years made remarkable strides in cloaking objects." They've teleported Obama to Mars: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/01/obama-mars/all/.
One more from Wired... the more we know, the less we understand: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/12/ff_causation/all/1 "... a cause is not a fact, and it never will be; the things we can see will always be bracketed by what we cannot. And this is why, even when we know everything about everything, we'll still be telling stories about why it happened. It's mystery all the way down."


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Students are required to purchase correct books and materials for each course by the first night of class. Required books for each course are listed in the course syllabus. Information regarding ordering books from MBS Direct, which is located in Columbia, Missouri, is provided to students when commencing their programs of study. However, students are not obligated to use MBS Direct as a book source and may, if they choose, obtain their books from another provider.
Revised: 11/01/2005


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Size: on cask
We started our Saturday evening on the tiles in a highly recommended bar, wedged into a tiny alley, just a stones throw from the main square in Bruges. The Staminee de Garre in fact sits on the shortest road in Bruges, De Garre, and it took us more than a little while to actually locate the place. Once we did however, we found it even more difficult to leave.
Our visit was largely down to the dramatic owner of the guesthouse in which we were staying. On our arrival he had welcomed us with a free round of Brugse Zot's (#36) – the staple beer of Bruges, and I was keen to see whether he had any more adventurous taste in beer than the Zot. He pulled us closer in a conspiratorial huddle, looking sheepishly around for witnesses, and told us in a hushed whisper of this bar in town, that serves a beer so strong, that they have to ration you. He claimed it was his favourite beer, and was gone as if in a puff of smoke. He was back two minutes later, armed with a map and a pencil, and thus our plan for the first drink of the evening had been hatched.
It was a small intimate bar, set on two rustic floors, which creaked with character every time you lifted a foot or moved on your chair. It was completely packed on arrival, yet within minutes we had squeezed into a gap upstairs, and were ordering the special house beer. The Tripel de Garre is only available here, although is brewed especially for the bar by Van Steenberge. It is a potent 11.5%, and the thick orange coloured brew is served up in a unique thickset goblet, which serves to preserve the wonderful thick white frothy head. As if that wasn't enough, each beer is accompanied by meaty chunks of the house cheese, and enough celery salt to dry out a table full of beer stains.
All in all, I look very fondly back on this beer. As a strong fruity thick sweet beer it was always going to score highly for me, but to drink this in a great bar with family helped to make the occasion. It is often true that a good beer tastes even better in the right atmosphere. Even my old man, who is a bona fide English ale drinker couldn't argue with this one. We were all able to neck a couple each before we headed off to dinner, and so were unable to put the rationing to the test. I am reliably informed that the limit is 2 or 3 Tripel de Garre's per person – although I am sure in these hard financial times, that the bar staff might avert their eyes once in a while.
To find the Staminee de Garre, click here


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The only problem? Neither Jimmy Fallon nor David Letterman had a live audience–a first, in both their histories–to laugh at their jokes. But what could have turned into that creepy David Lynch episode of Louie was actually an amazing bit of performance art as the two jokesters performed to the dead silence of a mostly-empty room. *Yanks collar* "Tough crowd!"
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (with Seth Meyers and Robert Zemeckis as guests):
The Late Show with David Letterman (with Denzel Washington):
Is it kind of weird that both shows were promoting the movie Flight? That movie's PR machine just won't quit!


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A University of Houston researcher will embark on a study of mental health among Asian American ethnic groups in Houston in hopes of identifying clues that keep some from seeking mental health care.
"There is a lower percentage of mental health disorders among Asian Americans compared to other ethnic groups, but we are unsure of the reasons for this discrepancy," said Tam Dao, assistant professor of educational psychology in the College of Education. "Studies have shown that Asians suffer from similar rates of mental illness compared to other groups, but for many they don't actively seek treatment. My research will try to examine why this occurs."
Funded by a $17,500 grant from the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, Dao will streamline intake data from the last five years at the Asian American Family Services (AAFS) in Houston, where he is a part-time staff psychologist. The organization is a nonprofit community center that offers bilingual and bicultural mental health counseling and support. Staff members speak six languages to accommodate their diverse clients. Dao hopes the streamlined data provides a road map to answers about mental health treatments and responses among Asian American ethnic groups.
"Many studies tend to lump all Asian Americans together, but I'm hopeful the data will allow me to separate the groups because they're very different," he said. "Their reasons for not seeking mental health care may depend on a number of reasons, such as the language barriers to perceived effectiveness."
His analysis may lead to intervention strategies that could include additional services cultural-specific treatments, increased efforts to match patients with a therapist of the same gender or ethnic background or with those who share cultural or refugee experiences.
"We'll be able to paint a clearer picture of mental health among Asian Americans," Dao said.
The Hogg Foundation was created in 1940 by the children of former Texas Gov. James S. Hogg and is part of the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at The University of Texas at Austin. The foundation advances recovery and wellness in Texas by funding mental health services, policy analysis, research and public education.


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Late last month, a Symbian Belle firmware for the Nokia C7 made its way on the Internet. Now, a couple of weeks later, a Belle FW for the Nokia E6 has leaked online. The Belle update for the Symbian^3 handsets is going to bring some much needed UI enhancements, a new camera app and much more.
Some E6 owners who tried the leaked Belle FW on their phone are reporting an increase in performance, and a much smoother scrolling performance compared to the Anna firmware. Other changes in the Belle FW include new widgets for weather and mail, a much faster and improved web browser, and a much prettier and usable UI. Interested Nokia E6 owners can find the download link and installation instructions over at DailyMobile forums. Since this is an early leak, I'd recommend business oriented users to stay away from this leak.
The official Symbian Belle firmware update for the existing bunch of Symbian^3 handsets like the Nokia N8, C7, C6-01, and the E6 will get the official firmware update sometime in early 2012.


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The Amazing PC
This story appears in the December 1998 issue of HomeOfficeMag.com. Subscribe »
What's one of the most underutilized resources in a homebased business? Surprisingly, it's the PC. Yet, when handled properly and to its full potential, your computer has powerful capabilities to take on the role of an extra employee, answer and route phone calls, and help you collaborate with virtual employees. Doing more than just boosting office productivity, today's PCs can help to improve your business's image, provide faster service to clients and draw in new customers.
Most people don't understand all the capabilities hidden in their computers, nor do they realize that many formerly expensive and complicated programs are now affordable and easy to implement. If you've always believed advanced computer resources remain solely in the realm of big business, get ready for a revelation. A PC is an amazing tool--a powerful device that accomplishes daily business tasks faster, improves the quality of your work, and gets the job done right.
Contact Central
The owners and five sales representatives of Douglass Inc., a family-owned manufacturers' representative agency, work from their home offices. While this affords them greater flexibility, Matthew Douglass, 39; his father, Charles, 63; and his uncle, Dick, 57, felt employees of their Indianapolis company could work more effectively as a team, especially when processing quotes and orders.
For Douglass Inc., the answer was GoldMine 4.0 Standard Edition ($295; http://www.goldminesw.com), a contact management program from GoldMine Software. With the help of a reseller that created a customized system for the company, Douglass Inc. now has one central place where everyone downloads the activity logs, quotes and orders they've created in GoldMine, rather than taking the time to fax the information to one another.
Furthermore, GoldMine has helped the company create a polished image. "Our correspondence looks much better because we use templates," Matthew says. "Everyone's [quotes and letters] look the same, instead of being handwritten like before."
Contact management software is about more than just organizing contacts. It's about automating your sales processes to retain and attract new customers. Ultimately, Douglass Inc. has used it to improve communications with clients and provide better customer service by delivering quotes and orders in a more efficient manner.
If you're unfamiliar with contact management programs, you may want to check out Symantec's Small Business/Home Office Trial CD (http://www.symantec.com/trialware). By calling (800) 835-6222, you can get Symantec's award-winning ACT! contact management software, WinFax PRO, Norton Utilities 3.0, Norton AntiVirus 4.0 and pcANYWHERE for a 30-day free trial.
Promotion Pizzaz
Like most homebased business owners, Carmen Knowles, owner of MicroFast Systems, a computer consulting company in Port Moody, British Columbia, has a rather modest marketing budget. When she needed a brochure, instead of paying a local printer's sky-high prices, she designed it herself using Corel Print Office ($99; http://www.corel.com). "I'm on a very tight budget, and [Corel Print Office] has been a huge cost saver for me," says Knowles, 63.
Using the program, Knowles was able to produce a brochure with crisp images and professional-looking graphics. She also found the image-editing program Corel Photo House 2.1 (included) very useful for altering photos and adding nifty effects.
If you don't already have brochures, business cards and letterhead, desktop publishing programs like Corel Print Office or Microsoft Publisher 98 ($99.95; http://www.microsoft.com/publisher) can help you build a corporate identity for your business, one in which all your materials have a professional and consistent look. And learning to use either of these programs demands only a very small investment of time. "It doesn't really require any training to use [Print Office]," Knowles says. "It's very easy to learn."
Now Presenting . . .
Creating a corporate identity isn't the only thing you can do on your own. Professional sales presentations are also no longer limited to companies with large budgets. Today, the majority of companies both large and small use inexpensive presentation programs to produce eye-catching multimedia presentations with audio, graphics, text and video.
One of the most popular presentation programs is Microsoft PowerPoint 97 ($339; http://www.microsoft.com/office/powerpoint). If you're short on time, no problem. You can choose from 50 new templates with pre-created formatting and text; just customize the information, and you've created an attractive presentation in less than an hour. Today's programs also have features that allow you to show your presentation on the Internet. For instance, PowerPoint 97 contains a Save As HTML wizard to automatically convert PowerPoint files into HTML allowing you to share them with anyone who has a Web browser.
Features like these give you the power to build presentations quickly and show them in a variety of ways. More important, they're inexpensive tools that help you sell products, explain vital messages and make your business stand out in the crowd.
Communications 101
Don't have a secretary? Well, who does? Fortunately, with the right computer telephony program, your PC can automatically take messages, route callers and more.
Computer telephony software like COMMUNICATE! PRO from 01 Communique Laboratory ($149; http://www.01com.com) contains comprehensive communication packages that are ideal for many home office environments. For instance, COMMUNICATE! PRO delivers telephone answering, speakerphone, fax, e-mail, contact management and data communications capabilities all in one package. Useful features include a CallAnswer wizard to create mailboxes with different outgoing messages, a Contact Manager to file e-mail, fax and voice messages by contact name for easier access, and Fax-On-Demand to automatically fax information requested by customers.
Computer telephony programs automate, organize and prioritize your company communications. Moreover, they allow you more control over the image you show the outside world.
Money Matters
Nothing's very glitzy about today's accounting programs. But there's no denying they're incredibly useful for managing your business finances. Besides traditional features like writing checks, managing accounts payable and receivable, and creating invoices and statements, some of the latest programs contain other powerful features. Accounting programs can now reduce repetitive tasks by memorizing frequent transactions, as well as protect sensitive data by tracking and limiting employee access to it.
Robert Griffith owns EES Construction & Consulting Inc. in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with his partner, Ellis E. Smith, 44. Griffith uses Peachtree Complete Accounting for Windows 6.0 ($199; http://www.peachtree.com) to keep the company's books because, above all else, it cuts down on the time he invests in accounting. "If I had to do [accounting] manually, I'd be spending a lot more time with the books than I would running my business," says Griffith, 41, who uses the software mostly for tracking accounts payable. Griffith also considers the Job Costing feature invaluable for its ability to track his projects' components and expenses.
Another popular accounting program is Intuit's QuickBooks 6.0 ($120; http://www.quickbooks.com). It contains check-writing, business-reporting, accounts receivable, accounts payable, invoicing and inventory capabilities. It also has extensive new Internet features, including quick access to the Internet, free online software updates and one-click access to online technical support and business services.
Far And Away
Since homebased business owners often don't have the space or budget to hire employees, many utilize virtual employees on a temporary basis. But collaborating on projects with people in different cities--or countries--can get complicated. Fortunately, new services such as HotOffice Virtual Office Service from HotOffice Technologies (price varies; http://www.hotoffice.com) provide a single online location where users can post documents and share ideas in real time.
Chris Ayers, owner and president of Lunchspecials Inc., operates a Web site out of his Richmond, Virginia, home where he posts daily lunch menus from local restaurants in several cities. He uses HotOffice to collaborate with his virtual employee in Louisville, Kentucky, on price lists and ad layouts because it simplifies communication and ultimately cuts down on costs.
"Instead of FedEx-ing or e-mailing documents, we can post them right on our HotOffice site and grab them from there," explains Ayers, 37. "Even though we're spread out geographically, we have one place to converse, get information and provide feedback."
If you already have a Web browser, modem and Internet access, HotOffice and similar programs like Netopia's Virtual Office 2.0 (starts at $14.95 per month; http://www.netopia.com) are an efficient, cost-effective method for communicating with workers in remote locations. (For more details on HotOffice, see "Net Work" on page 28.)
Desperately Seeking Data
Sometimes all the information you need in order to bring in business or make key decisions is right before your eyes. You just need a way to capture, store and retrieve relevant data, whether it's sales figures, invoicing information, or customers' names and addresses. That's where database programs come in--helping you get answers, share timely information and make better decisions.
Lotus Approach Millennium Edition from Lotus Development, included as part of the Lotus SmartSuite Millennium Edition ($399; http://www.lotus.com.), offers a powerful database to query, report on and analyze your data. If you already use another database program, you can seamlessly connect to all data stored in dBASE and other programs. A neat new feature, Save As to the Internet, lets you publish reports you've generated in Lotus Approach directly to the Web to present timely information.
Microsoft Access 97 ($339; http://www.microsoft.com) has features that make setup easy, including a Database wizard that automatically builds any of more than 20 types of customized databases. It also has a Simple Query wizard to sort through data and bring it all together to answer your questions, as well as Web-publishing capabilities and improved features in the Form and Report wizards. These new features make it easier to manipulate and use critical data, allowing you to make more knowledgeable business decisions.
Productivity Boost
Office suites typically contain word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and other productivity programs to handle general business tasks. Purchasing an office suite like SmartSuite Millennium Edition from Lotus Development or Office 97 Small Business Edition 2.0 from Microsoft ($499; http://www.microsoft.com/sbe) can save you money. It also provides you with a host of programs that resemble each other and interact better than stand-alone products do.
For Micheline Long, owner of Micheline J. Long's The Red Phone, a computer consulting and freelance writing company in Palmdale, California, the cohesiveness of the programs in SmartSuite Millennium Edition makes using and sharing company information much easier. "I can take information from a database and throw it into a word processing document or even into something like Lotus Organizer to add it to my address book or calendar," says Long. "The integration is really wonderful."
More than just integration, SmartSuite acts as a valuable productivity tool. For instance, Long has used it to create word processing documents and build a Web site for her business that provides technical support tips to her clients online.
Lotus SmartSuite Millennium Edition includes Lotus 1-2-3, FastSite Web publisher, Organizer, Word Pro, Freelance Graphics, Approach, ScreenCam multimedia software and the SmartCenter Internet Information Manager. The most well-known office suite, Microsoft Office 97, integrates six useful applications: Microsoft Publisher 98, Outlook 98, Word 97, Excel 97, Small Business Financial Manager 98, and Expedia Streets 98 for mapping and travel information.
Setting The Wheels In Motion
No matter what business needs or problems you may have, chances are a computer-based solution is available. And because you wear many hats, it's important to make the most of your PC so you can get daily tasks done better and quicker than your competitors can.
In addition, the decline in hardware and software prices, the proliferation of small-business programs and the trend toward easier-to-use products leave you with no excuse. It's time to uncover the entire realm of possibilities that PCs can open up for you and your business. Doing so will get you on the fast track to greater productivity and, ultimately, greater profits.
Booting Up
Here are some additional ways to boost business with your new best friend--your PC:
*Select Phone (Windows 95 and Macintosh System 7.1, $199, http://www.procd.com) from Pro CD Technologies publishes residential and business phone listings in the United States.
*Xerox's Pagis Pro 2.0 (Windows 95 and 98, $99, http://www.pagis.com) offers four products for scanning and manipulating photographs and data: Pagis to scan and file items, TextBridge Pro 98 OCR software to turn paper into PC documents, MGI PhotoSuite to edit and manipulate photos, and Pagis Copier to turn your scanner and color printer into a color copier.
*Adobe PageMill 3.0 (Windows 95 and 98, $99, Macintosh, price not available, http://www.adobe.com) from Adobe Systems can help you build a professional Web presence. Key features include drag-and-drop editing, integrated Web site management and advanced page layout.
*Eudora Pro Email 4.0 (Windows 95 and Macintosh, $39, http://www.eudora.com) from Qualcomm offers excellent e-mail management features. Eudora Pro has a completely customizable interface, an e-mail filtering feature to automatically identify and organize your e-mail messages, and secure encryption capabilities.
A Model Choice
Confused by all the computer models available today? Ultimately, the right one for you depends on your unique business needs, brand preference and budget.
Some of the latest PCs come with fast processors, 56 Kbps modems, 19-inch monitors, 36X CD-ROM drives and more. You'll pay top dollar for these features, so choose a model that only has the capabilities you require.
Take specialized needs into consideration. For instance, if your home office is cramped, look into buying one of the new space-saving LCD monitors. Likewise, if Internet access and e-mail are crucial to your business, buy the fastest modem you can afford.
It's also a good idea to buy models that come bundled with business software like office suites and financial management programs. Don't go for consumer models with unnecessary video and audio cards, speakers and multimedia software. Finally, pay close attention to the type of warranty and support offered, and consider purchasing extended service.
Contact Sources
Douglass Inc., (800) 428-7810, http://www.douglassinc.com
EES Construction & Consulting Inc., (843) 361-0897, email@example.com
Lunchspecials Inc., firstname.lastname@example.com, http://www.lunchspecials.com
Micheline J. Long's The Red Phone, (805) 947-0110, http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/tink
MicroFast Systems, 201 Harvard Dr., Port Moody, BC, V38 1S9, CAN, (604) 939-5655.


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This was published 7 years ago
Super forms of gonorrhoea on way
THE ''clap'' is making a comeback, and experts say it is only a matter of time before superbug strains of the sexually transmitted infection reach Australian shores.
Diagnosis of gonorrhoea is up 50 per cent in the past five years, and already about 4 per cent of cases could be resistant to the common antibiotic used to treat it, government figures show.
An associate professor at the University of Queensland who is developing a world-first test for antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea, David Whiley, said two strains of gonorrhoea that were resistant to all antibiotics had also been found internationally.
The first form was in Japan, while the second was found in France and soon after jumped to Spain.
"It's basically just a matter of time before we see it globally and in Australia," he said.
Associate Professor Whiley said Australia was leading the world in developing tests to try to halt the spread of the superbugs.
Traditionally testing involves growing the bug and testing it while still alive, a process which can miss some cases. More accurate DNA tests have been developed, but they can test only for specific strains and kill the bug in the process, preventing further testing.
Associate Professor Whiley's and his team are developing a DNA test which will not kill the bacteria, allowing for highly accurate tests that are also able to pick up other strains.
When the resistant Japanese strain broke out, it was his laboratory that developed a test.
It had also just developed a test for the European strain, said Associate Professor Whiley, who will present his findings at the International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections world congress in Melbourne next week.
"Some of these strains are almost inevitably going to hit Australia and I want to make sure that all our labs, as soon as the red flag goes up … can deal with it before it becomes a big problem here," he said.
There were about 8000 diagnoses of gonorrhoea in in Australia in 2007, and 12,000 last year.
Amy is Health Editor for The Sydney Morning Herald. Before working at the Herald she worked as a freelance journalist and radio presenter, as well as writing for a number of publications for doctors. She also keeps a health blog at www.dailylife.com.au.


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Tip Hair Material: Goat-Weasel Hair
Tip Resilience / Hair Type: Mixed Hair
Tip Resilience: Medium Soft
Tip Dimensions: 2.0 in x 0.6 in / 5.0 cm x 1.5 cm
Total Length: 11.2 in / 28.5 cm
Material Handle: Wood
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